Door operator



Jmmce 1, E946 G. E. DATH DOOR OPERATOR Filed Sep'l'.. 27. 1943 Patented June 18, 1946 DOOR OPERATOR George E. Dath, Chicago, Ill., assignor to W. H.

Miner,lnc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Applieation September 27, 1943, Serial No. 503=867 6 Claims. (Cl. 292-218) Ths= nvention relates to improvements in door operators especiaily designed for use in connecti'on with refrigerator cars.

One object of the invention is to provide a rotary operating means for forcing the doors of refrigerator cars ether open 01 tightly closed, including a rotary bar and end members secured thereco, the end members having cammng engagement with keepers on the car wall, wherein the end members and bar have interengaging means thereon for connecting the same in assemb1ed condition, thereby greatly simpiifying the construction and materially reducing the cost of manufacture, the usual labor involved in 1Xedly securing the end members to the bar beng elminated.

A. further object of the invention is to provde a door operating means, as described in the preceding paragraph, wherein the assembled bar and end members are maintained in their connected condition by having the connected portions thereof embraced withn the usual bearing brackets for rotatably supporting the door operator.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an operating means comprising a rotary bar and. separate end members having forked portions embracing the ends of the bar, wherein the cooperating end portions of the bar and the forked portions of the end members have interengaging 1ugs and seats for anchoring the end members to the bar, the connected portions of the end members and seats being held. against separation by being confined within the usual hearing brackets for mountingthe operating means on the door.

ther objects of the invention wil1 more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

Inthe drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is an elevational view of a pair of hinged doors mounted on a refrigerator car and illustrating my improvements in connection therevvith. Figure 2 is an enlarged elevationa1 view of the lower end portion of the operating means comprising my improveinents as i1- lustrated in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a horizontal sectonal view, corresponding substantially to the line 3-3 of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a central vertical sectional view through the end member at the lower end of the operator, showing the 1ower end of the operating bar in elevation and illustrating the manner of assemblng the parts, the secton being on a plane parallel to the planes of the members of the forked porton of saidend member.

In said drawing, Il)- designates the side Wa1l of ;he car, provided with the usual door opening IJ which is closed by a pair of hinged door 12 and I3. The hinged doors are of the usua1 design having beveled edges which cooperate with corresponding1ybeveled edges of the door frame. The meeting edges of the tvvo doors are also beveled and. all of the cooperating engaging faoes of the doors. and door frame are provided with the usual nsulating material. The door I2. is the first closed, the beveled edges beng so arranged that the nner edge of the door 13 overlaps the inner edge of the door 12. As shown, each door is supported by a pair of hinges I4-I4 of the usua1 type employed in connection with double doors of refrigerator cars. The door I2 is provided with a protecting wear p1ate I5 at the lower inner corner thereof, as clearly shown in Figure 1, over which a pivoted latch member |6 is adapted i;o engage to ho1d the door closed.

The usual top and bottom keepers |1 and [8 are employed in connection with my improved operating means, the same being provided with cam s1ots within which the offset end members of the operating bar are adapted to engage. As shown in Figure 1, the 1ower keeper is extended the left and has the pivoted latch 16 mounted on the outer end thereof.

My improved operating means comprises broadly a vertically disposed, substantially fiat Joar .A; a pair of top and bottom end members BB forming the keeper engaging means of the aetuating mechanism; a pair of top and b0ttom hearing brackets CC secured to the door; and an operating lever D.

The bar A is of substantially rectangular transverse cross section throughout its 1ength and has the edges rounded off so as to be accommodated fox rotary movement in the corresponding bearing brackets CC. In Figure 3, which shows the rounded edged bottom end portion of the bar A, said bottom end portion is indicated by [9. As shown most clearly in Figures 1, 2, and 4, the top and bottom end portions |9-l9 of the bar have the opposite side edges thereof provided with notches 20-2I, sad notches beng diagonally opposite, the notch 2| being loeated close to the corresponding end of the bar at one side thereof and the notch 20 being spaced inwardly from said first named notch and located on the opposite side of the bar. The notches 20 and 21 provide semi-cylindrical, laterally, out

wardly opening seats, as clearly shown in Figure 4 The lugs 24 and 25 span the opening between the arms 23-23 of the forked portion, extending from one memher to the other and being integral therewith. As shown in Figures 2 and 3,the lugs 24 and 25 are iocated at opposite sides of the corresponding end memher, the 1ug 24 being near the lower end and the lug 25 being near the upper end thereof. In the assemhled condition of the bar, the end memhers B-B are in longitudinal alignment With the bar A, with the arms 23-23 of said respeetive end memhers embracing the top and hottom ends of the har at opposite sides, and with the lugs 24 and 25 of each end memher seated respectively in the notches or s eats 2! and 20. As wi11 he evident, when the parts are thus aligned with the lugs of the end memhers engaged in the notches of the har, the parts are securely anchored to each other. Each end memher B is provided with the usua1 crank arm 26 at the outer end thereof adapted to engage with the cam slot of the corresponding keeper memher to force the door partly open or tightly closed, as is well known in this art. At opposite ends thereof, the arms 23-23 of the forked portion of each hracket B are provided With enlargements 37-31 which are rounded to fit the hearing portions of the corresponding hearing hracket C. At the inner end each end memher B is provided with trans versely aligned, horizontally disposed, curvecl flanges 21-27 extending laterally from the arms 23-23 of the fork, ad&pted to enage the inner end face of the corresponding hearing hracket to hola said end memher against endwise movement outwardly of said bracket.

The hearing brackets C-C, which are secured to the door i3 adjacent the top and hottom ends thereof, are of two pece construction, each comprising a back plate 23 and a cover piate 29. The back plate 23 is provided with hearing projections 30-3l3 at the inner and outer ends thereof, which present concave hearing surfaces 3I-3i. The cover plate 29 is in the form of a strap having a central, part1y cylindrical, outwardly ofiset portion 32 presenting concave hearing surfaces opposed to the concave hearing sur- 1 fases 3-3I and complementary thereto. The plates 28 and 29 are respectvely provided With laterally extending securing ears 33-33 and 34-34, the ears 34-34 of the p1ate 29 overlying the ears 33-33 of the plate 28. The two part hearing brackets C-C are held assembled and secured to the door 13 hy ho1ts 35-35 extending through the door !3 and ears of the plates 28 and 29 of the respective brackets. The hearing hrackets C-C serve to rotatably mount the device on the door !3 and house the opposite ends of the har A and the forked portions of the end memhers B-B, thus confining these parts against relative displacement sidewise, therehy retaining the lugs of the memhers seated in the notches of the har.

As shown in Figure 3, the edges of the arms of the fork of each end memher are rounded off to correspond with the har A to'properly fit the circular hearing portions of the hearing brackets,

4 to mount the parts f0r easy rotative movement therein.

In assembling the parts of my improved door operating means, the end memhers B-B are first attached to the bar A in the manner indicated in Fgure 4. In attaching each end memher, the Same is disposed at an angle to the longitudinal aXis of the har, as shown in Fgure 4, and the bar end is entered flatwise hetween the arme 23-23 to the extent shown, so that the notch 2! of the bar is closely adjacent the lug 24 of the end memher B. The end memher B is then swnng into longitudinal alignment with the bar, thereby engaging the 1ugs 24 and 25 in the notches 2! and 20, securely anchoring the end memher to the har. A;fter hoth end memhers have been thus applied to the bar A, the assemhly is mounted on the door hy the brackets C-C, the separahle plates 28 and 29 of each hearing hracket being applied at opposite sides of the connected hearing portions of the end memher and har at the corresponding end of the bar and secured together and fixed to the door 13 by the securing holts 35-35.

The operating lever D is pivotally secured to the har A, as is well known in this art, and is normally locked with the doors in closed position by means of well known latch means, which is indicated bv 33, sealed with the usual ear seal in a well known manner.

In the operation of my improved door actuating means, rotation of the har A in the proper drection forces the door either open or closed hy camming engagement of the crank memhers of the end memhers B-B of said bar A with the keepers I'l and i8 in a manner Wel1 known.

I have herein shown and descrihed what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merely illus trative and I contemplate a11 changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character descrlbed, the comhination With a two piece hearing hracket comprising front and rear plate elements, said bracket having a substantially cylindrcal bearing opening formed partly on each of said elements thereof; of a rotary har memher having one end thereof extending into said bracket; an end memher 0n said har memher having a hearing portion extending into said hracket between the elements thereof in overlapping relation to said end of the har memher, said end memher having a radially extending keeper engaging projection thereon; and means for anchoring said end memher to the har memher ccmprising a notch in the edge of the overlapping portion of one of said memhers, and a lug at the edge of the overlapping portion of the other of said memhers engaged in said notch, said lug heing engageable with said notch hy relative latera1 displacement of said memhers, said overlapping portions of said memhers fitting in the opening of said hracket and being confined hetween said elements thereof against lateral displacement to hld said 1ug seated in said notch.

2. In a device of the character described, the cornhination with a vertically split hearing bracket comprising front and rear plates, said hearing bracket having a suhstantially cylindri cal hearing opening formeel partly on each plate thereof; of a rotary har memher having one end thereof extending into said hracket hetween the plates thereof and rotatahle therein; an end member on said har member having a hearing portion extending into said braoket between said plates thereof in overlapping relation to said end of the har member, said end member having a rad-ially extending keeper engaging projection thereon; means anohorng said end member to the bar member, comprsing longitudinally spaced notches in the opposite edges of the overlapping portion of one of said members; and spaced iugs at the opposite edges of the overlapping portions of the other of said members engaged in said notches respectively when said members are in axial 1on-gitudinal alignment, said lugs heing engageahle in said notches by reiative sidewise and angular dsplacement of said members, said overlapping portions of said members fitting said bracket and beng confined hetween the plates thereof against iaterai dsplacement to hold said lugs seated in said notches.

3. In en operating means for forcing a swinging door either closed or open, the combination with top and bottom verticaliy split, two part hearing brackets mounted on the door; of an elongated, vertically disposed, rotary operating har member having its top and bottom ends rotatably mounted in said brackets emhraced hy the parts thereof; forked end members at opposite ends of the bar having the orked portions thereof embracing the corresponding ends of the bar within said split, two part hrackets, said end members having radialiy projecting keeper engaging means thereon; and means f01. anchoring said forked portions of the end members to the bar members, comprising interengaging lugs and notches on said members respectively, said 1ugs and notches being retained in engaged condition hetween the parts of said vertcally split brackets.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination wth vertically disposed, two part hearing bracket having a hearing opening; of a rotary bar member having one end thereof extending nto said bracket and embraced hetween the parts thereof; a forked end member on said end of the bar member having the forked porton thereof extending into said two part hracket in embracing relation to said end of said har member, said end member having a radially extending keeper engaging projection thereon at the outer end thereof; and means en said forked portion and emhraced end of the bar member for securing said end member te said bar member comprising a notched seat in the edge of one of said members, and a cooperating, lateraily projeoting iug on the other member en-gaged in said notch, said 1ug and notched seat being engageahle with each other hy relative lateral displacement of said forked end of the end member and said end of the bar member, said forked end and said end of the bar member fitting the opening of said hearing bracket and being embraced between the two parts of said hracket and held against relative lateral dispiacement therehy.

5. In an operating means for forcing a swinging door either closed 01 open, the cornhination with an elongated operating bar; of keeper enga-ging end members at opposite ends of said har overlapping the ends of said bar, said keeper engaging members havng radially projecting crank arms at their outer ends; means for anchoring said end members to the bar comprising interengaging 1ugs and notches on said overlapping portions of said har and end members; and two pece hearing hrackets comprising front and rear sections secured to the door with said front and rear sections emhracing said overlapping portions therehetween and mounting said operating bar for rotary movement.

6. In an operating means for forcing a, swinging door either closed or open, the combination with top and bottom hearing hrackets mounted on the door, each hracket comprisihg front and rear separahle members; of an eiongated, verti cally disposed, rotary operating har having its top and bottom ends rotatably mounted in said hearing brackets and embraced hetween said front and rear members thereof; keeper engaging end members at opposite ends of said bar extending into said hracket-s in overlapping relation to the ends of said bar, said end members having radiaily projeoting crank arms at their outer ends; and means for anchoring said end members 130 the bar comprising interengaging 1ugs and notches en said overlapping portions of said har and end members, said lugs and notches being retained in engaged condition by said front and rear members of said brackets.

GEORGE E. DATH. 

